On Black Atheism: Mark D. Hatcher

A recent New York Times article profiled African Americans who don't believe in God or who have eschewed the faith that many assume is central to the black experience. What does the apparent rise in atheism and agnosticism (pdf) among blacks tell us about the utility of religion for African Americans in today's social and political climate? Interviews with academics, activists and advocates from everywhere on the religious spectrum reveal the diversity of views on this historically fraught -- and, for many, highly personal -- topic.

For the third in the series, The Root talked to Mark D. Hatcher. He is the 30-year old chief financial officer of the nonprofit Black Atheists of America and the founder of Secular Students at Howard University, where he's a Ph.D. candidate in physiology and biophysics.

The Root:Are African Americans better or worse off as a result of religion, and why?

Mark D. Hatcher: Religion does seem to provide a sense of security and community to many religious people in general, but these things can be achieved without using God as a middleman. Given the amount of time and money dedicated to securing one's salvation instead of reinforcing [one's] own personal needs, religion acts as a vacuum on the resources of the black community.

How much interest can tithe money accrue over a year? How far would the "building fund" monies go if dedicated to hypertension research? How many job applications can one fill out in the time spent on [one's] knees praying for a change?

TR: Research shows that African Americans believe in God at higher rates than the general population. What explains and sustains the higher rate of spirituality in the black community?

MDH: It is well-established that religion has historically spread through conquest and colonization, and this, too, can be applied to the Christianity forced onto American slaves. However, religion became especially central to this culture because it was one of the only places where they could be a culture. This evolved into the black church becoming the hub for education, fellowship, dating, counseling, politics, etc.

While white cultures had 4-H clubs, country clubs, access to mental-health care and political rallies, the blacks with no access to these things due to segregation found it under the steeple. These powerful roots make it hard to extinguish associations with religion, even among the doubters.

TR: While less than one-half of a percent of African Americans identify themselves as atheists, compared with 1.6 percent of the total population, this group has become more vocal in recent years. What's changed that has allowed blacks to feel more comfortable admitting that they don't believe in God?

MDH: I believe that the increase in outward atheism or agnosticism is simply a result of the world moving away from outdated ideas. The same occurred with growing equality of blacks and women, and we are still making great strides with the homosexual community as well. The world is growing tired of thinking a certain way because "that's just how it is." The idea that so many young people identify themselves as "spiritual but not religious" seems to indicate that they have outgrown religious restriction in favor of thinking for themselves.

TR: What are the best and worst ways that religion factors into African-American political views and political activity? How is faith leveraged to motivate or to manipulate?

MDH: Churches provided a ground to openly discuss politics and inform the populace of the positions of candidates, which is necessary in a democratic society. Unfortunately, those positions were looked upon using the values of a Bronze Age collection of stories. The pulpit can be used to push ideas that may be outdated but aren't supposed to be questioned because they came directly from a supreme being. Black America is especially susceptible because often, church is the only place where they find their politics, which may explain why religious black voters tend to be fiscally liberal and socially conservative.

TR:Could the civil rights movement have happened without Christianity?

MDH: The better question here may be, "Would the civil rights movement have been necessary without Christianity?" For years the congregation was told that "the meek shall inherit the Earth" and that their rewards would come in heaven. This does not sound like liberation theology.

Christianity can easily be used to keep a population from rising up in revolution. Yes, the civil rights movement centered in the churches, but again, that's just because that's where black people got together and talked about serious issues. We mustn't forget that the movement came on the heels of the Harlem Renaissance, an era of enlightenment and critical thinking that was rife with atheists and agnostics; nor should we forget that plenty of open atheists, such as A. Philip Randolph, played integral parts in the civil rights movement.

TR:If Christianity -- and religious belief overall -- declines in the African-American community, how, if at all, will it impact the fight for social justice moving forward?

MDH: I have always been under the impression that people weren't good people because of religion, but good people seek religion because they are raised to believe that it is necessary to be a good person. Without religion, we will still have the same amount of good people; however, we will lose a lot of the infrastructure that churches have built over the last century. With the emergence of secular black communities, organizations and activist movements, the church will find itself struggling to stay relevant in the progressive world.